Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-10-09
CRUEL EVICTIONS.
A story of Harsh Treatm.nt by Agents of
"A British Company,

A story of Harsh Treatm' mt by Agents of
British Company,
DEs MONIES, Ia, October The brief
Associated Press telegram from Washing
ton, reciting sundry cruel evictions in
Northwestern Iowa, has been doubted here
in all quarters.
One of the most reliable citizens Of
O'Brien county was asked last night as to
the truthfulness of the dispatch, and he in
stantly Endorsed it.
In regard to the English Land Company
which is said to be turning American
citizens out Of their homes, he said: ut
certainly is true. They are an old firm,
reOrganized into the Western Land
Company. They bought from the
cd McGregor Western, or its as
signs, and Milwaukee and the Sioux City
companies, some lands granted to the Nc
Gregor Western in 1864, but never earn
ed for the road was never built. When
Teller was Secretary of the Interior, he
and the Land Commissioners both declared
the lands unearned and promised to open
them for settlement. On the faith of
these declarations and promises, some
settlers went on these lands and built
their homes. The English syndicate now
has the railroad title and proposes to keep
possession"
How many families have they evicted?"
cat least one hundred. Before they
get through the number will be increased
TO one hundred and forty"
'You say you know some OF the families.
Were any of those you know subjected to
undue severely in their evictions?"
"Yes. The Finch FRANKLY locked their
doors against the intruders, but the doors
and windows were broken in, aud they
were carried ont and compelled to spend
the night on the public road. In the case
of Nels Nelson, the same thing happened,
and he was so terrorized by troop Of
armed men, and by levies on his live
stock and furnitures, that he sue
Cumbed and signed the company's
lease. Others have been terrorized into
doing the same thing In one case with
which | ana perfectly familiar, the mother
in-law, " no is q member Of the family,
WAS sick ahed. She was carried out into
hard raiu and compelled to spend the night
there, and in the morning seek such shell
ter as the family could find for her. These
are only a few Of the cases | personally
Know, hut they will do for a sample Of
about n hundred that have occurred aud
half rs many more that are threatened"
A Sioux City, Iowa, dispatch says: DIR.
NJ. II. Hamlin, whose name was men,
toned in a recent dispatch from Washing,
ton regarding the alleged eviction Of set
tiers on lands in O'Brjen county claimed
by the English syndicate By virtue Of
purchase by the old McGregOr and West
ern Railroad, was in the city to-day, and
in an interview rtiterates his statement
that hardship had been wrought and force
used in several instances where settlers
refused to depart from the land they had
secured by right OF settlement.
Accompanying the doctor was farmer
named Finch, who says that two weeks
ago a sheriff's posse Of fifteen men evcIed
him by force from his home where he had
lived for years. He also says that local
papers have made no mention of the facts
because they were subsidized by the Eng
lish capitalists. He says there are a num-
bel Of instances where force has been used,
and the settlers propose to carry the mat
ter into the courts and maintain their
rights If possible,